Fuel burner



March 3, 1942. E. G. BAILEY FUEL BURNER 3 Sheets-Sheet l Original FiledDec. 18, 1935 Numrw NvENToR Erw/7 @Baiiey .k-KKWTORNEY March 3, 1942. E.G. BAILEY 2,275,395

FUEL BURNER Original Filed Dec. 18, 1935 3 Sheets-Shee't2 l INVENTORffl/m Bai/ey March 3, V194:2. Eg 5, BAlLE-Y FUEL'BURNER original FiledDec. 18, 1955 3 sheets-sheei :s

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mvEmoR1 ffl/Il? G Bcn/@ y ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 3, 1942 FUEL BURNERErvin G, Bailey, Easton, Pa., assignor to The Babcock & Wilcox Company,Newark, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Original application December18, 1935, Serial No. 55,020. Divided and .this application June 10,1938, Serial N0. 212,869

4.l claims.

This invention relates to improvements in fuel burners adapted for usein vapor pressure power generators of the drumless forced flow typesuitable for service Where load conditions are of Wide range over ashort time interval as, for instance, is characteristic in the mobileservice to which power plants are subjected in locomotive and marineapplications, and for which great flexibility is a requisite.

High eiciency of vapor generation from fuel heat requires not only thatcombustion be completed within the furnace space, and that the leastpossible excess air is present t all loads from zero to maximum, but,also, that the heating surfaceshall be properly disposed with referenceto the furnace and the products of com- Y bustion tc promote heatabsorption to the greatest degree through heating surface exposed withinthe .furnace area and beyond it. This requirement for least weight thusimposes a need for high rates of heat absorption per square foot ofheating surface in order that the high degree of absorption ofheat forhigh efficiency is attained with a minimum of surface area. Smallestpossible furnace size requires the highest possible heat liberation ratefrom combustion of fuel, B. t. u./hr./cu. ft., and for highest effiyciency this must be accomplished with the least possible excess air andno unburned fuel.

One feature of the invention is the provision of improved fuel burnerunits having a supply of elements of combustion to insure wide range,

Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation on the plane of line 4--4 of Fig.3.

In detail- The forced flow vapor generator constituting this inventionis diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. l to indicate gas flow, workingfluid flow and sequence of contact with sections of the heat absorbingsurface as contained within the enclosure represented by the clot anddash line indicative of the casing Walls. '.TfI'he flow path for theliquid and its vapor is vcomprised of several long small bore tubesconnectecl` in parallel, ve being here shown, interruptedzpy anenlargement at the end of the vapor generating A'section which acts as aseparator or collecto-rto divide vapor 'and liquid, the saturated vaporpassing therefrom without liquid to a superheater, a portion of theentering liquid being carried through the tubes to the separator for thepurpose of tube metal wetness and preventing solid deposits. Thisunvaporized liquid is finally diverted out of the flow path at theseparator and withdrawn under regulated conditions.

The parts of the generator are arranged on two levels within verticalwalls common to both. The lower level is occupied by the flat sidedfurnace, with horizontal bare tube walls on five sides, the sixth havingthe burner space with refractory arc-und it; at the rear end of thefurnace there is a bank of horizontal tubes 228fdisposed across it. Thehot gases of combustion pass from the lower to the upper level at therear end 245 and return through a gas passage over the furnace roof toan air heater 282 above the burner before their exit. The upper level ofthe hot gas end is occupied by the superheater 242 which is screenedfrom the radiant heat of the furnace partly by its position and partlyby the lower level tube bank 228. The upper level is also occupied by aneconomizer 202 at the cooler gas end, by certain connections and by theseparator-collector 232 located between the economizer 202 and thesuperheater Equalization of heat absorbed by the vapor generator tubesis assured by their position, and by providing for equalization orproportioning of liquid feedquantity and temperature to each of the fivelong small'bore tubes in parallel, lequalization of quality of Vapor orratio of liquid "un# evaporized to vapor produced is assured, and eachgenerating tube is kept wet internally by control of ratio of heat madeavailable to quantity of feed, thereby overheating is prevented and thisis accomplished with a minimum of excess liquid.

To assure equalization of heat absorbed by each of the several parallelconnected generator tubes, each of one is so bent and so located as tobe equally exposed to radiant lie'at of the furnace and equally swept byhot gases. Each tube occupies a portion of the height of each furnaceside wall from end to end at a given level and a portion of the end wallat the same level, and each one makes one or more transverse passesacross the gas stream in the furnace within the same level limit. Eachtube also occupies a portion of the Width of the furnace .bottom and ofthe furnace roof from end to end of each. At the same time the burner isin one end of the furnace, the flame and the gases flowinglongitudinally straight througth it, so there is thermal-symmetry allaround the cross section of thefurnace, and any change in gastemperature or intensity of radiation longitudimechanical or steam, orcombination oil atomizing and feeding head 265 movable along the support264', Vas indicated, by loosening the thumb screw 26,6, this burner headhaving oil feed and atomizing steam supply 261 and 2'68, respectively,controlled by valves. A

'Ihe burner air chamber is 'entirely enclosed and insulated as indicatedat 269. It has guide vanes and comprises a scroll shaped wall 210 todistribute air entering one side from the air heater 282 by way of arectangular opening 21|. The vanes divide the chamber entrance area intoair passage increments 212, 213, 214, 215, 216', and 211; and theseincrements extend around to the burner ring entrance so that there is anequalization of the air supply to the burner throughout thecircumference of the burner ring. The sweep of these vanes, Iand theextended ones 218 in the windbox of the burner, are very carefully`shaped and stopped off at the right loca tions to insure a uniformdelivery of air throughout the entire burner circumference, even if theair entering the burner air chamber is not equally distributed acrossthe chamber entrance area.

In order to provide for ignition of the oil spray the burner entrancering 258 has an opening 219 therein into which extends a suitable gasburner and automatic lighting device Openings 280 in the face plate 26|)equalize the air pressure in the main windbox with that in a secondarywindbox 280 back of the face plate, the

secondary windbox communicating with the ringopening 219. Above therect-angular opening 21| is the tubular air heater 282 through the tubesof which pass the spent combustion gases from the vapor generator andwhich they leave through the flue 283. This air heater, as will beevident, is at thefiring end of the vapor generator, and over it, andthe air enters it at 254 and traverses the bank of tubes of the airheater directed to the burner air chamber or windbox so that the heatimparted to the air in its passage through the air heater 282 is notlost and the flow resistance is minimized by reason of the short travelof the air from the air heater to the burner.

To insure that the full capabilities of my vapor generator are realizedin operation, auxiliary ap paratus of proper cooperative kind, and withappropriate controls', are provided, so that the combination has all ofthe use characteristics required for motive power service of the typepreviously described involving exlbility over the whole range from zeroto maximum capacity per unit, high efliciency, light Weight and smallspace requirements for any size above that used in small automobiles.

This application' is a division-of my application. Serial No. 55,020,filed Dec. 18, 1935, now matured into Patent No. 2,170,342, dated Aug.22, 1939.

While I have chosen to illustrate and describe a certain preferredembodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that this is by wayof (not shown) .vanes terminating Within illustration only and that I amnot to be limited thereby exceptvas to the claims in view oi' priorart.v

Iclaim:

1. The combination with a furnace having a circular burner port in oneof the walls thereof,

a fluid fuel burner arranged axially of said burner port, means defininga wind box at the outer side of and surrounding said burner port, saidWind box having an air inlet at only one side thereof and arranged toeffect an air ow through saidl wind .box in a plane at a substantialangle to the axis of said burner port, and means for distributing theair entering said air inlet substantially uniformly throughout thecircumference of said burner port comprising a series of vanes in saidwind box subdividing said air inlet and extendingv in spaced relationto'corresponding circumferential portions of said burner port, theburner port ends of said vanes being substantially equally spacedcircumferentially.

2. The combination with a furnace having a circular burner'port in oneof the walls thereof, a uld fuel burner arranged axially of said burnerport, means defining a wind box at the outer side of and surroundingsaid burner port, said wind box having an air inlet at only one sidethereof and arranged to effect an air flow through said wind box in aplane at a substantial angle to the axis of said burner port, and meansfor distributing the air entering said air inlet substantially uniformlythroughout the circumference of said burner port comprising a series ofvanes of different length and curvature in said wind box subdividingsaid air inlet and extending in spaced relation to correspondingcircumferential por- 'tions of said burner port, the burner port ends ofsaid vanes being substantially equally spaced circumferentially.

3. The combination with a furnace having a circular burner port in oneofthe walls thereof, means defining a wind box at the outer side of andsurrounding said burner port, said wind box having an air inlet at onlyone side thereof and arranged to effect an air flow through said windbox in a plane at a substantial angle to the axis of said burner port,and means for distributing the air entering said air inlet substantiallyuniformly throughout the circumference of said burner port comprising aseries of vanes of different length and curvature in said Wind boxsubdividing said air inlet and extending in spaced relation tocorresponding circumferential portions of said burner port, said vaneshaving substantially equal circumferential spacing at their burner portend.

4. The combination with a furnace' having a circular burner port in oneof the walls thereof, means dening a wind box at the outer side of andsurrounding said burner port, said wind box having an air inlet at onlyone side thereof and arranged to effect an air flow through said windbox in a plane at a substantial angle to the axis of said burner port,and means for distributing the air entering said air inlet substantiallyuniforymly throughout the circumference of said burner port comprising aseries of vanes in said Wind box subdividing said air inlet andextending in spaced relation towards corresponding circumferfntialportions of said burner port, said the circumference of said burner portand having substantially equal circumferential spacing at their burnerport end.

ERVIN G. BAILEY.

